The award-winning Apple Remote Desktop has always had the power to simplify administrative tasks and make managing networked Mac OS X systems easy and efficient. With the release of Apple Remote Desktop 3, there are even more options for distributing software, automating common tasks, and providing remote assistance to your organisation.

Remote Spotlight search

Leveraging the revolutionary Spotlight technology in Mac OS X, the new Remote Spotlight capability in Apple Remote Desktop 3 can perform lightning fast searches on remote client systems. Summary results for each client are updated instantly as results are returned. View details on results or refine searches even further using additional qualifiers. Results can be viewed on remote client systems, copied back to your administrator system or deleted.

Dashboard widget

Apple Remote Desktop 3 provides you with a new Dashboard widget that gives you an instant, at-a-glance view of the remote computers in your network. Its fully integrated with the Apple Remote Desktop administrative application, so a click on a particular computer will allow you to select and start working with any computer in the system.

Automator actions

You can automate Apple Remote Desktop 3 by using Apple or third-party actions to create your own custom workflows, which you can then save and reuse as needed. To help get you started, more than 40 Automator actions have been included. You can use them individually or combine them to streamline your frequent tasks.

AutoInstall

Tired of having to manually track when systems come back online so that you can update their software? Thanks to the AutoInstall feature of Apple Remote Desktop 3 you can stage software to install on remote, mobile, or offline systems. Just stage the software and, when the computer is back on the network, Apple Remote Desktop will automatically update the system.

Curtain Mode

For those times when you want your actions to be hidden from the end user, theres Curtain Mode. This allows you to block the view behind a virtual curtain, while retaining full control of the screen. Its perfect for those working on public-facing systems.

Remote Drag and Drop

Now theres an easy and intuitive way to transfer files and folders between computers. The Remote Drag and Drop capability of Apple Remote Desktop 3 gives you pinpoint accuracy when moving items between your computers and a remote computer. You can also copy and paste information between systems.

System status indicators

When you want to keep on eye on the computers in your network, theres no easier way than system status indicators. These indicators give you the name of the computer, the name of the current user and their account picture. Coloured indicators show the status of each computer or you can choose shapes to indicate each state. One click gives you details on startup disk usage, memory utilization and CPU utilization.

Application Usage reports

It is crucial that you ensure compliance with all your software license agreements. But its also a task that can take up a lot of your time. Not anymore. The new Application Usage report details which applications have been used on remote systems  including the number of launches, the duration of launches, and who executed the launch.

User History reports

Do you know whos been using your network? Apple Remote Desktop does and can track it for you with new User History reports. These reports give you detailed information on who is using a computer, when they logged in and out and how they accessed the computer.

Smart Computer Lists

Smart Computer Lists track computers in a way that makes the most sense for you. It lets you specify a set of rules, based on 11 attributes  any computer that matches the rules you set automatically gets added to the list. For example, you can create a Smart Computer List to track all your Mac OS X v10.4 computers or all your Mac mini computers that have 512 MB of memory.

Task Templates

Apple Remote Desktop 3 lets you save frequently used tasks as Task Templates that you can reuse whenever you need them. To help get you started, more than 30 sample UNIX scripts are included to help you with a range of tasks including setting desktop pictures, time zone settings, Energy Saving settings and more.

Download Unlimited Managed System edition from the Mac App Store.

“With Apple Remote Desktop I can perform system maintenance and support tasks on multiple client machines in different locations within minutes. In addition to controlling Macs, ARD also allows me to remotely control our Windows servers via industry-standard VNC.” Chuck Journey, IT Macintosh Systems Administrator, Patagonia.

“Grand Island Public Schools staff use Apple Remote Desktop to support about 3,000 Macs in 20 buildings. ARD is extremely easy for teachers to use to simply distribute documents to students, open applications, monitor screens and demonstrate on individual workstations. It also works well as a troubleshooting tool. Apple Remote Desktop is an indispensable part of our network management that we can't imagine living without.”Sue Burch, Director of Technology, Grand Island Public Schools.